The JC Letters Page, 5th October 2018

Cheshire

As a former resident of one of the constituencies adjoining that of Joan Ryan, and who, like her, is a long-standing non-Jewish supporter of the state of Israel, I deplore both her recent de-selection and the fact that Press TV were permitted to film the whole debacle.

I believe that the time has now come for the emergence of a new political party which stands decisively to the left of centre while being avowedly non-Marxist, a party which, on the domestic front, will campaign for a return to the socio-economic status quo ante pre-1979 (via a wholesale programme of re-nationalisation, including that of the telecommunications network, thus going further than Labour did in its 2017 election manifesto) and, in the sphere of foreign policy, will build a special bond with Israel, advocating a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

While being loath to form such a party myself, having neither the organisational skills nor the high profile needed for such a task (although I have considered standing as an independent Free Leftist candidate at the next election), such a strategy now surely requires serious consideration by disillusioned Labour members, Jews and non-Jews alike, who feel that the new antisemitism has become too firmly grounded in their party and that they are fighting it in vain.

Richard Lane

Great Malvern Worcestershire

Corbyn compliment

I share Lee Harpin’s concern that Palestinian flags were enthusiastically waved at the one-sided conference “debate” on Israel at which Jeremy Corbyn repeatedly led the applause, (JC, September 28).

While supporting the Palestinian cause is of itself not antisemitic, Labour’s obsession with the subject is. Where was the outrage against the atrocities in Syria or the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya?

The problem is that, because Israel rightly prides itself as being the only democracy in the region, it is held to a higher standard than its authoritarian neighbours. Which is an indirect compliment.

Stan Labovitch

Windsor

Orban and Soros

We are again invited to rebuke the Tories for not supporting action in the European Parliament against Hungary (JC Editorial, September 21).

The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has certainly done things which most would dislike, such as trying to undermine the independent judiciary and media. But of course this is all about his supposed antisemitism. He is supposed to have made many antisemitic remarks, but writing as a Hungarian born in Budapest I have difficulty in finding them.

So it comes down to the antisemitic “tropes” aimed at Soros. There is some validity in this and normally I would be annoyed, if not “outraged” -- which seems to be compulsory nowadays. But for Soros, as Groucho Marx would have said, I’ll be glad to make an exception.

This is a man who boasts about his alienation from other Jews, except when he is looking for gullible support; who is proud of how anti--Jewish his parents were; who has never as far as I know spent a cent to help Jews anywhere; who does, however, help to fund NGOs spreading anti-Israeli propaganda and trying to delegitimise the country; who attended an event to celebrate, after his death, Imre Kertesz, the Hungarian Nobel Prize winner for literature, and spent most of the time denigrating Israel so that much of the audience walked out. Perhaps our esteemed leaders could discover some facts before wallowing in groupthink.

M Schachter

London, NW6

How to do it differently

I’m writing in relation to the article Doing shul differently (JC, September 28). While the piece gave some insight into the United Synagogue’s Community Development Fund (CDF), it did not explain the critical underlying reasons for “doing shul differently”.

The CDF grants, together with the identification of “Communities of Potential”, are all about ensuring the United Synagogue is increasingly innovative in the way it understands synagogue engagement.

The grants and the identification of new communities and those with potential for development were identified through a strategic review carried out three years ago.

The review recommended areas of operation that would help transform The US from being a reactive body to becoming a pro-active synagogue organisation.

Several recommendations required the US to be more nimble in decision-making and to drive development of new communities forward and re-energise more established communities.

Central to the delivery were two features:

1. Financial support and help to initiate new communities, such as Mill Hill East Jewish Community and the distribution of grants to support both salary and creative programme costs in existing communities.

2. Recruiting and appointing inspiring rabbinic leadership and community leaders and ensuring rabbis and rebbetzins share this vision and deliver it.

These initiatives will ensure the United Synagogue remains at the vanguard of synagogue community life for the next decade and beyond.

Leonie Lewis

Co-Vice President, United Synagogue

Fast show

VAs a fan of the TV programme, Countdown, I recorded the episode to be shown on Yom Kippur. When I caught up with it, I was surprised to see that the conundrum at the end was the word “Atonement”.

Coincidence?

Mindy Lee

Woodford Green, Essex